One Minute
by xXChiasaHimuraXx
Summary: Because he couldn't let her die before she knew just how much one minute could change everything. Spoilers for Ch. 335.


**A/N:** I had to write this. I can't stand the thought of Ultear dying without knowing how many lives she saved - not when she said she couldn't save anyone after all. Therefore, I wrote this in about an hour. That being said, probably not by best work, but I REALLY wanted to get it up tonight yet. SO. Here you go.

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

* * *

_One Minute_

Something wasn't right; he could feel it – could still feel that distant, phantom tingling in his chest that penetrated straight through his heart. Something had changed – he should be dead, but he wasn't.

But the only person he knew who could change time couldn't change the time of living things.

And yet – Ur's face flitted through his mind – what if there _was _a way? _Iced Shell_ – some sort of spell like that – something that no sane person would learn without a specific purpose.

And _she _would have had a purpose – she had outright told him when they had battled on Tenroujima. She wanted to go back to a time when she could still be with her mother – to a time when she could start over and live the life she wanted. That was why she hadn't cared about anything she did then – because she could just go back like it had never happened in the first place.

"We need to find Ultear."

The words were out of his mouth before he even comprehended what he had wanted to say. The others turned to face him.

Lyon's eyes narrowed slightly. "Why the urgency?"

"I… just have a bad feeling about this."

Lyon accepted his answer, nodding. "But where do we even start to look? Not to mention these stupid dragon-things around every corner…"

Gray frowned. "I don't know. I would say we should split up and go different directions, but that's really not a good idea if we plan to keep on living…"

"I guess we just pick a direction and go from there," Meredy sighed. "I'm worried about her…"

"I hate to admit it," Gray murmured, "but so am I…"

The group set off in silence, keeping a sharp eye out in every direction for oncoming attackers. It didn't take long before they happened upon others.

"Jet! Droy! Have you seen Ultear?"

Jet looked over at the approaching group. "We haven't. Why do you ask?"

"We aren't sure where she is," Meredy replied. "We got separated…"

"I see. Uh, say… Did something strange happen to you guys a moment ago?"

"Strange, like…?" Gray inquired.

"It was so weird… It was like we saw a minute into our futures."

"Yeah… I would have… _died _if that hadn't happened," Droy murmured.

Lyon stared at Gray. "I wonder if it happened to everyone then…"

The group departed shortly after, telling Jet and Droy to keep their eyes open for Ultear. Rounding a corner only a minute later, they nearly collided with Romeo, Macao, and Wakabe.

"Have you seen Ultear?" Meredy asked frantically.

Macao and Wakabe exchanged looks before shaking their heads. "No, but something strange certainly happened…"

"You guys, too?!" Lyon asked in disbelief.

Macao sighed. "When you see your own death, you definitely question your sanity… But when two other people see it happen exactly the same way…"

He was certain of it now – it had to be Ultear's doing. Somehow… Somehow she reset time…

Rounding yet another corner, they found themselves face to face with Jellal, Erza, Milliana, and Kagura.

Gray ran forward. "Erza! Have you seen Ultear?"

She turned towards him, a look of surprise on her face. "Gray! Lyon! I'm glad to see you all are all right!"

Milliana frowned. "Why do you want _her _of all people?"

"We got separated," Meredy replied. "I'm worried something has happened…"

"As am I," Gray added. "After what happened…" He shook his head. "We need to find her."

"I don't understand why," Kagura stated. "After everything she did to us – making us believe that Jellal was the bad guy when she was the one controlling him all along…"

"She walked off that way only a few moments ago," Jellal finally answered, pointing them in the right direction. Gray took off at a sprint, oblivious to the calls from the others behind him.

Stepping into an area as much demolished as any other, Gray stopped short, inhaling sharply, before sprinting forward again much to the protests of the others – until they saw the reason for his reaction. Skidding to a halt and kneeling down onto the ground, he prayed that the scene wasn't what it first appeared as he rolled over the figure lying sprawled on the ground. Cradling her head in his lap as Meredy screeched to a halt opposite him, he knew what had happened – he didn't know how it was possible, but he knew she was the reason he was alive right now.

"Ultear," he whispered.

He inhaled sharply again as her empty eyes slowly opened.

She gave him a small, sad smile. "Gray," she breathed. "I'm sorry – so sorry. I just wanted to be able to save everyone… but now… I guess my life wasn't worth much, huh? Magic would know after all… the magic that can turn back time and life itself…"

"What are you saying?" he muttered. "What do you mean you were trying to save everyone?"

"I… tried to turn back the clock… to before the gate to the past was opened… to at least keep the dragons from getting back to our time…" She laughed softly. "Turns out… my life was only worth… one minute of time… I couldn't save anyone after all… I've always been good for nothing, it seems… I only wish… I could have at least… repaid my debt to you… for saving me from myself… Gray…"

She was fading fast, he could tell, and he wanted to speak, but she didn't give him the chance. "Meredy… I'm sorry to you too… We've been through an awful lot… I'm sorry I couldn't repay you either… for saving my life…"

Gray, sensing her time was short – and growing shorter by the second – cut her off. "Now you listen to me, Ultear, and you listen good. I won't let you leave this world until you understand something. One single minute was all we needed – myself included! Consider the debt I never held of you paid – in that minute that you rewrote, I should have been counted among the causulaties! You understand me?! I should be dead! Droy and Macao, too, and who knows who else! And if you had gone back even one minute more, Kagura would have killed Jellal by now as well! You have freed her and Milliana of their hatred for Jellal! Do you hear me, Ultear?"

A smile played at her lips. "I… hear… you…"

He could feel something wet trailing down his face. "Just like your mother, you will _never_ know how many lives you saved; just like your mother… YOUR LIFE WAS NEITHER LIVED NOR GIVEN IN VAIN!"

On her last breath, she whispered to him, "Arigatou… Gray…" She eyes once again drifted closed, her body going limp in his arms.

One minute was all it had taken. One minute, and she was gone forever. But one minute had given him life again. One minute had changed everything.

As he lowered her body back to the ground, drying the tears from his eyes, he made her a vow. "We will make your sacrifice count, Ultear. The dark future that awaits us, we will blind it with the light. We will shut it out – _we will seal it away forever!"_

_Because, sometimes, one minute is all it takes._


End file.
